diff --git a/src/backbone.treemodel.js b/src/backbone.treemodel.js
index 7b7347a..388750b 100755
--- a/src/backbone.treemodel.js
+++ b/src/backbone.treemodel.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
         }
 }(this, function(root, BackboneTreeModel, _, Backbone) {
 
-
     /**
      * @define {WrappedArray} array-like object that has special methods
      */
@@ -290,6 +289,11 @@
          * @return TreeModel
          */
         add: function(node) {
+            if(!Object.keys(this.attributes).length) {
+              this.set(node);
+              if(node && node.nodes) this.add(node.nodes);
+              return this;
+            }
             if(node instanceof Backbone.Model && node.collection) node.collection.remove(node);
             this._nodes.add.apply(this._nodes, arguments);
             return this;
@@ -422,5 +426,4 @@
     TreeCollection.prototype.toArray = TreeCollection.prototype.flatten;
 
     return TreeModel;
-
 }));
diff --git a/test/backbone.tree_test.js b/test/backbone.tree_test.js
index 9bfa93a..4884ef6 100755
--- a/test/backbone.tree_test.js
+++ b/test/backbone.tree_test.js
@@ -59,6 +59,30 @@ function runTests(BackboneTreeModel, expect) {
             });
         });
 
+        describe('After creating an empty tree', ()=> {
+            it('should add tree data correctly', ()=> {
+                var newTree = new Backbone.TreeModel();
+                newTree.add({
+                    id: 'title_2',
+                    tagname: 'h1',
+                    nodes: [
+                        {
+                            id: 'anchor',
+                            tagname: 'a',
+                            nodes: [
+                                { tagname: 'span' }
+                            ]
+                        }
+                    ]
+                })
+                var anchor = newTree.find('anchor');
+                expect(newTree.root().get('id')).to.be('title_2');
+                expect(newTree.nodes().length).to.be(1);
+                expect(anchor).to.be.ok();
+                expect(anchor.nodes().length).to.be(1);
+            });
+        });
+      
         describe('#find', ()=> {
             it('Should return matched node', ()=> {
                 var sidebar = tree.find('sidebar');